The Dungeness Chinook recovery program is looking promising based on a captive brood program where eggs were pumped from redds, incubated and hatched in the hatchery, and the fish then raised to maturity at the hatchery and spawned. The offspring were then raised to various sizes and released. The returns this year - using "hatchery raised fish" were estimated at just over 900 fish. It is possible, and advisable, to use locally adapted stock in recovery efforts. Other states, Colorado for one, have established hatcheries dedicated to recovery projects of listed species. .... and lets not forget what captive breeding programs did for other species such as the condor and peregrine falcon. Hatcheries are a tool of wildlife management. Science (good science not political science) needs to drive the process.

The habitat is still an issue and work supported by the county, state, and Jamestown S'Klallam tribe is planned to help re-establish as much "natural" habitat as possible.

Time will tell, but without the captive brood program we still would be looking at limited returns if we were totally dependent on natural production.